Shallows Surf Forecast and Surf Reports

(Newcastle, Australia)

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- Hourly Forecast
- 16 Day Forecast
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Spot Information

Shallows Surf Guide

Shallows in Newcastle is an exposed reef break that has reasonably consistent surf. Winter is the best time of year for surfing here. The best wind direction is from the northwest. Waves just as likely from local windswells as from distant groundswells and the ideal swell angle is from the southeast.. Best around mid tide when the tide is rising. It very rarely gets crowded here. Beware of rocks and sharks.

Shallows Spot Info

Type:	Rating:	Reliability:	Todays Sea Temp*:
Reef	3	fairly consistent	23.0°C*ocean temperature recorded from satellite

Surfing Shallows:

The best conditions reported for surf at Shallows occur when a East-northeast swell combines with an offshore wind direction from the South-southwest.

Hourly Forecast

16 Day Forecast

What's the best time of year to surf Shallows (for consistent clean waves)?

aprilBest Season: autumn

The best time of year for surfing Shallows with consistent clean waves (rideable swell with light / offshore winds) is during Autumn and most often the month of April. Clean surfable waves are typically found 18% of the time in April while 33% of the time it tends to be blown out. For the remaining 49% of the time it is considered too small by most surfers but may still be OK for beginners and groms at times.

clean

18%

Surfable waves that hold up well for longer rides in prevailing cross-offshore, offshore or light wind conditions.

blown out

33%

Surfable sized waves that are of poorer quality due to prevailing onshore, cross-onshore or windy conditions (may be preferable for kitesurfing).

too small

49%

Waves usually considered too small for good surf. Some wave-magnet breaks may still work though if conditions are right (on occasion).

Explore Shallows Location Map

Interactive Shallows surf break location map. View information about nearby surf breaks, their wave consistency and rating compared to other spots in the region. Current swell conditions from local buoys are shown along with live wind speed and direction from nearby weather stations. Click icons on the map for more detail. The closest passenger airport to Shallows is Newcastle Airport (NTL) in Australia, 23 km (14 miles) away (directly). The second nearest airport to Shallows is Richmond Airport (RCM), also in Australia, 112 km (70 miles) away.

Map Icons:
Break
Live Wave Height (m)
Live Wind Speed (km/h)
Surf Rating (10 Max)
Ocean Swells (m)
Wind Speed (km/h)

Please note that some surf spot locations are approximate to protect their exact location while others are not shown at close zoom level.

Shallows Surf Forecasts:

Hourly Forecast

16 Day Forecast

Todays Surf Summary
Monday, 4 May 2026, 16:51 Local Time

m, °C	Monday 04
ft, °F	1PM	4PM	7PM	10PM
Wave (m)	E	E	E	E
Period (s)	10	10	10	10
Wind (km/h)
Wind State	cross	glass	cross- on	cross

Tides at Shallows

Current tide and informaton

For Charlestown, 7 km from Shallows.

Next High Water: 09:43pm | 1.52m

Next Low Water: 04:32am | 0.26m

NEXT	IS AT (local time)	remaining
high tide
low tide

Shallows Sea Temperature

Warm in and out of the water temperature at Shallows today, but forecast to be overcast. With sea temperatures of 23.0 °C and a wind chill of 22.0 °C, most surfers will choose a shorty or a summer suit or just board shorts.

Today, many surfers would wear a shorty.

Current Temp*: 23.0°C*ocean temperature recorded from satellite